I'm So Sorry
by fanwriterkris
Summary: While on a mission chasing goons through the woods, a horrible accident occurs.
1. Chapter 1

Hannibal ran to the back of the house, hoping the slimeballs would come out the back door and he'd be there waiting for them. They had ran into the

All was going well in the case...the bad guys had been caught and were being tied up, when one of the men somehow gotten loose and a fist fight broke out.  
All four ended up escaping and took off into the surrouding woods...thick with growth and trees. Not seeing which was the goons went, the guys decided to split up...BA and Murdock in one direction...Hannibal and Face went the other way.

After fighting their way through the undergrown and briars, Face caught sight of one of the criminals and he and Hannibal took off after him.  
The chase led directly to the old abodoned shack. Face chased him through the door, Hannibal noticing that there was only one other door in the back, decided to go that way in hopes that Face ran him straight into the mouse trap. That would make it one down and three to go...

He had been standing there a few minutes...nervous and worried that the other three goons would come up any minute...Hannibals ear and eyes were on alert...finger close to the trigger of his gun. Normally calm and cool...his nerves was more on edge this time because they were up against cold blooded killers.

Standing just to the side of the door...he heard something in the woods and his eyes darted in that direction...at the same moment, the back door of the house shot open.  
On instince, Hannibal spun the gun around and pulled the trigger...Face looked at him a second, fear and shock in his eyes...then slowly went down. The Colonel threw the gun down and dropped to his knees beside the man he saw as his son... already applying pressure to the clearly visible close contact wound to his abdomen. "Oh God, I'm sorry kid".".  
"You're going to be okay, you're going to be okay, just say with me, Face". The object of his attention was quickly losing his battle with conciousness. A few minutes later, he lost that fight.

Hannibal frantically checked for a pulse and to make sure his lieutenant was breathing. After satisyfing himself, that for the moment, he was, his mind shot back to the four murderers running around in the woods.

"Do I hide Face and try to find BA and Murdock?"..."No, I can't leave him alone...he might be found by the wrong people..or he may bleed to death without anyone with him. I can't risk that.". Thoughts are ideas run through Hannibal's head in frantic motion.  
Finally he chooses to wait where he is...propped against the door holding Face against him and holding his own shirt tight against the wound, which is leaking blood at an alarming right. He holds the gun tightly in the other hand..eyes and ears on alert...apologizing to his prone Lieutenant and praying to God in the same breath. Then, stopping to talk to the man which is his Son in every sense but blood..  
"It's okay kid...I'm sure Murdock and BA heard the gun shot...they'll be coming this way. You're going to be okay."

BA was ahead with Murdock right behind him...looking for signs that the goons had gone before them and so far they had found none.  
Murdock was just about to suggest they head farther to the right when they heard the gunshot. "Hannibal and Face must have found atleast one of them"  
Murdock quietly said. Ba nods his head in agreement and then turns toward the sun of the shot. "We better go find them, fool". They take off..though not in a run,  
due to the fact that they don't know how many more goons are still loose in the woods, but also because at this point, they have no fear or worries. They assume the gun shot came from Hannibal or Face to scare a bad guy, and said bad guy will be restrained when they get to the scene...neither man had no clue of the scene they would find when they reached their destination...


	2. Chapter 2

Murdock got to the nightmare first. As he cleared the trees and brush, he saw Hannibal setting down with Face against him, and he felt his chest tighten as the fear set in.

He stopped for a second and stared at the scene, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't as bad as it looked.  
Then he started running again...

Hannibal saw him coming and screamed for him to hurry..."I shot him. I don't know what happened to me, but I shot him! oh my God, I shot him.". Murdock was stunned but had no time to think about that and he knew it was an accident anyhow. It wasn't important, especially at this time.

"We have to move him, Murdock. His pulse is getting weaker and he's not coming around as much. He's lost too much blood. I was going to start building something to transport him on, by I didn't want to leave him. Pressure needed to be applied to the wound, and I was worried the thugs might have came back while I was gone. But, time was lost...maybe I should have hid him and tried to find a way to get him out of here."...his voice loosing strengh as he spoke...

Murdock could see that his ever strong Colonel was sick with guilt and worry. Hannibal wasn't seen this way often. He very rarely lost his cool. "We'll get him out, Colonel. You did the best you could, we're in the middle of nowhere, there wasn't much you could do alone. But, he's going to be okay and we're all going to get out of here. BA is right behind me, he just went around the other side of the house, so we could be sure the coast was clear."

About this time, BA came from around the other side of the shack. He stopped in his track for a split second before breaking into a trot to meet the other guys. Hannibal was still setting down with Face against him. His hand was still pressing firmly into the wound, trying desparately to keep the blood flow down. Face was damp with sweat, pale, eyes closed but face still pinched in pain, moaning softly every so often.

Before doing anything else they checked the wound, which was becoming red. Infection seemed to be setting in already. Face was getting warm...they had to hurry. The blood seemed to have stopped for the most part. There was nothing in the long abadoned shack that they could use, so they laid Face in the grass, using jackets for blackets and pillows.

Then they went to work.

Between the three of them, they were able to have a contraption to safely carry Face, built in less than an hour.  
They gently and carefully placed their friend and brother onto the gurney, jostling his body as little as possible, in fear that there was internal injuries.

Soon, they were back in the Van.

They cleaned and bandaged the wound, now that they had the simple luxury of the first aid kit. Hannibal also decided a shot for infection was necassary. Face was out now, none of ths woke him up. He didn't make a noise.

Turning back around in his seat, worry evident in his blue eyes..."We have to find a Hospital BA...GO"


	3. Chapter 3

Ba made a frantic dash to the interstate. But still, there was no sign of a hospital. Hannibal and Murdock continued to tend to Face in the back of the van, but the prone man still failed to awaken or show signs of awareness. He was out cold and his pulse continued to go down.

Hannibal knew he didn't need to tell BA to hurry...for he knew the big man was doing everything in his power to find help for his beloved little brother.

Finally, in desparation, Hannibal told BA to take the next exit. While only a small town with no sign of a hospital, Hannibal knew there had to be a doctor's office.

Pulling into the first gas station they came to, Murdock rolled down his window and asked someone'  
pumping gas where they could find the nearest doctor's office.

From the directions given they finally pulled into a small community office. Practically running with Face in his arms, Hannibal dashed inside with his other two men on his heels. Seeing them and the condition of the injured young man, the nurse immediately ushered Hannibal back...forcing BA and Murdock to wait outside.

"We were hunting and my rifle somehow went off" Hannibal told the Dr before he even asked. was an aging gentlemen, the kind of man you would expect to be a Dr in a town like this. He nodded his head in understanding at Hannibal's explanation...a look of sympathy clouding his wrinkled but kindly face. He quickly cut away Face's shirt and gently examined the wound.  
This sudden contact aroused the stricken man and he moaned slightly, while trying weakly to move the large, rough hands from his abdomen. Hannibal moved to hold Face's hands still, but watched as the Dr. gently took the smaller hands into his own and moved them back to the bed, patting them as he went back to his task.

"Why have you come here and not to a hospital?" he asked, not said with rudeness but a sincere question. Not knowing what to say Hannibal said they were from out of state and could not find a hospital. After looking at Hannibal for a moment longer, then at the young man on the bed, and lastly picturing the large, bejewweled figure in his waiting room, he looked at Hannibal and then spoke..."I know why you are here and not at a hospital".

Hannibal froze...scenerious tumbling around inside his head in frantic motion. "Do I overpower this man, grab Face and run?"..."Do I pull my gun on the Dr and force him to help my lieutenant?". "Should I ask him why he thinks we are here? Perhaps it is for a different reason". The thoughts continued until the Dr spoke again. "It's okay, calm down. I know who you are, I respect and admire you and your men. I'm not going to turn you in and I will do all I can to help you".

After thanking the man and being reassured that he and the guys were safe here, Hannibal asked the Dr of Face's condition...  



	4. Chapter 4

************I noticed after it was too late that the last chapter contained a few spelling errors, etc. I seem to have a hard time noticing this until I publish it. I do apoligize. I am very new at this, but I am trying to improve. I also have a hard time with medical terms and procedures**********

After being asked of Face's condition, Dr. Haskell continues his examination of the ugly wound.  
Several minutes later he spoke to the man hovering over the bed, full of worry, the man he knew to be Hannibal Smith.

"The bullet needs to come out, infection has already began to set in deep. The fever can get dangerously high in a short time. I will start antibiotics and we will have to get the bullet out as quick as we can. The bullet may have damaged internal organs, so we will have to look for that as well, and tend to any problems as we come to them. I also work at the hospital in the larger town nearby, so I am qualified to operate and I have a small room here where I do smaller procedures. If you prefer,  
I will do the operation there instead of transporting him to the hospital. We have to decide quickly though as this is an emergency. I can't promise you anything other than that I will give everything I have to save your friend."

Hannibal immediately agreed, now trusting the aging doctor with Face's care.

Upon Hannibal's agreement the Dr asked if He, BA, and Murdock would like a few minutes alone with Face before he was taken to surgery. Hannibal went to get them and the Dr left them alone stressing that he couldn't give them long. He used this time to call in his partner to handle his other patients, not giving a reason other than a friend that had an emergency situation.

The three men inside the room gathered around their friend, brother, and what Hannibal saw as his son...in every way but blood. One large tear slowly ran down Murdock's face onto his best friend's hand, that was held securely between his own. He put his mouth to Face's ears and talked to him quitely.  
"You're going to be okay brother, you remember we are going to be out here waiting for you. Don't give up". With that he gently deposited Face's hands back down beside him, ran his hands through his friend's hair, told Face once that he would be in the other room waiting to see him and again, and walked out.

BA was next...he too knelt beside Face and talked quietly to him. His gruff voice took on a surprisingly gentle and soft tone. "You don't stop fighting Faceman, you hear me. Your family will be right out that door when you come out of surgery.". He took Face's hand in his own and squeezed it lightly, leaning down to whisper into Face's ear..."We love you little brother, don't you leave us." With that he walked out behind Murdock.

Hannibal stood beside Face for a moment, gazing at him, before leaning down next to him. "I'm so sorry Face, I cannot put in words how sorry I am. But be brave right now and get through this and we'll be ready to take you out of here when you are strong enough. I will make this up to you. With nobody watching, he smoothed Face's hair back and kissed him on the forehead, as a father would do to a young child. "You'll be okay". And he walked out to set with the other two men and wait... 


	5. Chapter 5

After what seemed to be hours upon hours, and endless worried pacing, Dr. Haskell came out into the small waiting room.

All three men were immediately in front of the doctor.

"The news is in your friend's favor and he is stable, gentlemen, but let's set down and talk about it".

After everyone was settled, the older man began to speak about Face's condition.

"Face came through the surgery well and as I said, he is stable. Their was rather extensive damage, but I think he will recover with time, though he may have trouble from the injuries from time to time. A lung was hit and damaged, a small portion was lost. His colon was damaged substantially and a large portion of it was removed, though enough is left that he will not need a colostcomy bag. Kidney damage occured, but I believe he will eventually fully recover from this. Several stitches were needed to repair torn arteries and sections of intestines. The blood loss was extensive, we also have to take into account the chance of infection. We are giving him blood and I believe he will recover in that respect. Antibiotics are being given to fight infection.  
The recover will be long and hard, and I do foresee lasting effects from the damage to his lung. Possibly, he will have after effects from the kidney damage. We can also not forget about the loss of blood to his brain. He is alive though, he is a fighter. He will need to keep fighting as the battle ahead of him will be a difficult and painful one."

After hearing all of this, Hannibal let his breath out. Face was alive. They had a long road ahead of them, but they would get through that and whatever they had to deal with in the long run would be dealt with. All that mattered right now was that he made it through the surgery.

Murdock stopped twisting the hat in his hands, put it on his head, and smiled for the first time since they got to the doctor's office.

BA grabbed the gold chest hanging on his chest and mouthed a silent prayer of thanks.

"Can we see him?" This anxious request coming from Murdock, though all three men were ready to go to their fallen friend's side.

"For a few minutes, he's not awake, but talk to him and he may hear you."

"Afterwards, I have a guest house you may stay in, it's right next door, so you won't be far from him."

"I must warn you that Face has several tubes and needles attached to him and he is very pale due to the loss of blood. He will probably look horrible to you, but he is stable and doing well considering what he has gone through."

Hannibal shook the Dr's hand and gave him his most sincere thanks, then the three men walked into the room.

Face was deathly pale and his small frame looked incredibly vulnerable and fragile laying in the bed, attached to numerous tubes and wires.

The feeling of guilt immediately hit Hannibal again. He was the first to Face's side and he picked up the ghost white hand.  
He held it tightly while kneeling down to Face's ear. "You made it, kid. Now, we just have to get through the recovery, and we'll do that together. Whatever it takes we'll do it."

He laid the hand down and stepped to the foot of the bed, rubbing the socked foot, as Murdock stepped into the Colonels's place. He picked the hand up and held it silently, rubbing the top of it. BA went to the other side of the bed and did the same thing to the other hand, showing a side that isn't often seen. Together the three of them stand, giving their strong but silent support, hoping their friend, brother, and son knows they are there and that they will get through the struggle that lay ahead, as a team and family.

They stay like that until Dr. Haskell comes and tells them they need to leave the room and let Face rest. "You can see him again in the morning,  
you need your sleep as well. He is stable and resting comfortably right now. You can relax.". With that, they tell Face where they will be, assure him they will be back early in the morning, and walk to the guest house next door.


End file.
